TransDimension talks USB OnTheGo

[B]Could you introduce yourself and tell us your role in the USB OnTheGo development? What is TransDimension involvement in the OnTheGo development? [/B]

[B]TransDimension:[/B] I am one of the original creators of USB and have spent the last 6 years of my career promoting and advancing the standard in one form or another. My experience spans from computer chips to consumer products. TransDimension is playing a leading role in the development of the USB OTG specification and is planning to implement chipsets based on the standard.

[B]What are the benefits and major features of USB OnTheGo?[/B]

[B]TransDimension:[/B] USB OTG benefits consumers that are using increasingly intelligent mobile devices. For example, cellular phones were once just for making phone calls, now they are used to get stock quotes, send and receive emails and keep calendars. With this increased functionality comes an increased need to connect to other things, and USB OTG enables that connection... whether or not a PC is in the middle.

[B]What makes you think USB OnTheGo will succeed? [/B]

[B]TransDimension:[/B] Because it solves a basic problem (connectivity) in a "standard" way rather than a proprietary way. This means that mobile devices can connect to various peripherals that are not necessarily specially made for that mobile device.

[B]How does USB OnTheGo fit into the picture when Bluetooth and Firewire are already well established in the consumer market? [/B]

[B]TransDimension:[/B] There are over 800 million USB enabled products that are in the installed base and the number that have Firewire or Bluetooth combined is less than 1/20th of that. I would hardly say those standards are already well established. However, that is a snapshot of today, and I believe that USB OTG will co-exist with Bluetooth as that standard becomes popular.

[B]How does USB OnTheGo compare to the new USB 2.0 standard?[/B]

[B]TransDimension:[/B] The plan is that USB OTG will be a supplement to the new USB 2.0 standard, but the OTG specification only defines full and low speed operation which are 12Mbits/sec and 1.5Mbits/sec. The high speed of 480Mbits consumes too much power for most mobile devices and is optional.

[B]How fast is USB OnTheGo?[/B]

[B]TransDimension:[/B] 12Mbits/sec with 1.5 Mbits/sec rate also supported.

[B]What are the best applications for OnTheGo? [/B]

[B]TransDimension:[/B] Any reason you need to connect two devices. For example, you could connect a digital camera to a printer to print a photo, or you could connect your PDA to your cellular phone to swap addresses. The applications are limited only by the creativity of device manufacturers.

[B]Does USB OnTheGo call for another USB cable standard? [/B]

[B]TransDimension:[/B] The cables will be substantially the same, but USB OTG does define a new miniature plug (mini-A) in addition to the current mini-B plug. This is so that the miniature receptacles can be used on mobile devices where the current connectors are just too large.

[B]When will the first OnTheGo-compatible product appear on the market? [/B]

[B]TransDimension:[/B] Most likely in the first half of 2002.

[B]Because of USB OnTheGo design architecture, will USB OnTheGo products work with existing USB 1.1/2.0 ports on my computer?[/B]

[B]TransDimension:[/B] Absolutely, that is a requirement.